Harchandan Singh Bhatti

Most museums put objects in glass cases. Harchandan Singh Bhatti designed one where tribal art and life fill the whole space. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of art, from Madhya Pradesh ^[1].

Learning at Bharat Bhavan

Bhatti was born on 20 April 1959 in Dehradun and studied painting at the Government Fine Arts College in Indore ^[2]. He was chosen by the painter J. Swaminathan to work on Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal, a pioneering arts centre, and there he came to know and document the tribal communities of Madhya Pradesh ^[2].

The Tribal Museum

He is chief designer of the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum in Bhopal ^[2]. Rather than display tribal art in showcases, he designed the museum as a living space shaped by the communities’ own art, culture and ways of life, an approach that has made museum experts rethink how museums can engage visitors ^[2].

For the Simhastha fair in 2016, he created Triveni, a museum based on the Shaiva, Shakta and Vaishnava traditions ^[2]. He has also designed stages for the Khajuraho Dance Festival and the Tansen Samaroh, and more than forty years of exhibitions ^[2].

His honours include Madhya Pradesh’s National Kalidas Samman (2016) and the Amrita Sher-Gil fellowship ^[2].